


Love Me Tender, Love Me Sweet, Never Let Me Go

by Larry_Klaine_Stylinson



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1950s, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-07
Updated: 2013-02-07
Packaged: 2017-11-28 13:34:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/674968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larry_Klaine_Stylinson/pseuds/Larry_Klaine_Stylinson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the 1950's and Harry and Louis are in love, but they have to hide their relationship. Louis suggests they run away together, and Harry agrees.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Me Tender, Love Me Sweet, Never Let Me Go

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written as a prompt fill on Tumblr.

It was Saturday, so naturally Harry was working in the little malt shop in the small town in which he lived. There was an Elvis song playing on the jukebox, and Harry was humming along, seeing as Elvis was one of his favorites. He was cleaning off the counter, waiting for some customers to drop in. The bell signaling the opening of the front door jingled, and Harry looked up.

And there he was. Louis Tomlinson. His boyfriend. Or, secret boyfriend, rather. They hadn't told anyone. Couldn't tell anyone. They'd been together for nearly a year now, and Harry wished with everything he had that they could tell everyone in their little town. Shout it from the rooftops. But they couldn't. They'd be shunned. Probably run out of town. Maybe even punished, in some way.

Louis walked up to the counter, ordering a small vanilla shake, and Harry quickly whipped one up for him, slinging the rag he'd been using to clean the counter over his shoulder. Harry's boss was out, and so they were currently the only two in the shop.

Harry was still humming as he worked, until he heard Louis' voice from behind him, as he was mixing up the milkshake, "Don't just hum, Hazza. Sing it a bit for me."

Harry always got nervous singing, preferring to just hum along, but he couldn't deny Louis. He finished mixing the milkshake, setting it in front of his boyfriend and putting whipped cream and a cherry on top while singing.

"Love me tender,  
Love me sweet,  
Never let me go.  
You have made my  
Life complete  
And I love you so."

Harry blushed a deep scarlet as he sang the lyrics, partly from the nerves of singing aloud, and partly because the lyrics really were perfect to sing to Louis.

Louis was leaning in slowly, obviously preparing to kiss him, when the bell above the door jingled yet again. Harry jumped back, nearly squeaking, and praying to every deity he could think of that no one had seen what was about to happen. He didn't want to know what kind of trouble he and Louis would be in if they had.

It was a small family entering the shop this time. A mother, a father, two little girls and a little boy. Harry smiled at them as they came up to the counter, but from the looks on their faces Harry feared that they had, in fact, seen what was going on just before they came in.

"What can I get you lot?" He asked, with a cheery smile.

"Three strawberry shakes, a chocolate, and a vanilla, please." The man ordered for his family. Then one of the little girls tugged on his shirt, and he bent over, listening as she whispered in his ear. "And a large order of fries." He added.

"Coming right up." Harry said, turning around to prepare the food. He could feel the mother glaring at him, her gaze practically burning a hole in the back of his head.

Once their order was completed, he set the food down on the counter and watched as they retreated to a table near the back of the small little shop, as far away from the front counter as they could get.

"I think they saw us, Hazza." Louis whispered.

Harry nodded slowly, "I'm nearly certain. We've got to be more careful, Lou. You can't just go around kissing me at work."

"We were the only ones in here." Louis argued. "I can't do this anymore, Hazza." Louis sighed.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, his stomach twisting in knots, the fear of Louis breaking up with him enveloping him entirely.

"Hand me a pencil, would you?" He asked, no longer whispering.

Harry gave him a confused look, but handed him one of the few pencils from behind the counter anyway.

Louis took the pencil, grabbing his napkin and writing on it before sliding it over to Harry. Harry turned it 'round, so the words weren't upside down, and read it.

"I'm not breaking up with you." It said. "Run away with me, Hazza."

Harry looked up at Louis, stunned, before writing his reply, "Lou, I can't. What about my job? And mum? And Gemma? I can't just leave them."

Louis read Harry response, sighing before writing back, "I know I'm asking a lot of you. But this isn't fair to us, sneaking around like this. I hate seeing you down by the cinema, or out at church with your mum and Gemma and not being able to run over to you and hold your hand, or kiss you on the cheek. If we want to be happy together, truly happy, we have to run away."

Louis had had to flip the napkin over to fit his whole message. Harry read it, his breath hitching in his throat. Deep down, he knew Louis was right. Knew they could never be happy together here, if it meant hiding away nearly all the time, sharing secret kisses behind old abandoned buildings whenever they got the chance.

"Alright." Harry said aloud. "Let me finish my shift, then I'll run home and pack a few things. Mum and Gemma should be out this evening, so they won't even know I'm going."

"Sounds perfect, Harry. I'll meet you by the train tracks, yeah? We'll decide what to do from there?"

Harry nodded, the bell above the door jingling yet again as more customers came in.

"I'll see you soon." Louis said, getting up and leaving the shop.

000

Louis went home and packed as many things as he could into a small bag that could be carried over his shoulder. He fit three pairs of trousers, two dress shirts, a vest, and a suit jacket into his bag, as well as an extra pair of shoes, and a bit of food.

He then waited an hour, before heading down to the train tracks where he would meet his beloved Hazza.

He waited there for nearly thirty minutes before Harry showed up, and for a moment he had thought Harry wasn't going to come.

"Sorry I'm late, Boo Bear." Harry said, jogging up to him. "Mr. Porter needed me late at the shop."

"It's fine. You're here now." Louis glanced around quickly before stealing a quick kiss from Harry's lips.

"What's the plan?" Harry asked.

Louis shrugged, "There's a freight train leaving in a bit. They're delivering some cargo to one of the bigger towns a little ways away. They'll be passing a large set of woods, Harry. That's our best bet."

"We're going to live in the woods?" Harry asked, shocked.

"I can't think of anywhere else to go, Hazza. No matter where we go, if there are people, it would be just like staying here." Louis explained.

"Louis, I don't think I can."

"We'll figure it out, love. Because we'll be together."

Louis saw Harry begin to grin, his dimples forming, which caused Louis to smile back at him.

They heard the familiar sound of a train starting, and Louis took Harry's hand firmly in his as they ran towards the train, which was just beginning to start moving as they approached.

"We'll have to jump!" Louis yelled.

He let go of Harry's hand, assuming jumping would be easier for both of them if they were separated. Louis jumped first, just barely making it on to the back of the freight train.

"Jump, Hazza! Jump!" Louis urged.

Harry was running along behind the train, which was moving slow still, but Louis knew it would pick up speed soon.

"I'm scared, Lou! What if I miss?"

"You won't miss, Harry! Just jump!"

Louis watched as Harry closed his eyes, springing forward, and then he was sprawled out on top of Louis on the back of the train.

"Told you you wouldn't miss." Louis teased.

"That was scary." Harry said, out of breath. "I don't know why I let you talk me into these things."

"Because you love me."

"Yeah, I do." Harry conceded, leaning in and kissing Louis on the cheek.

Harry sat up straight then, scooting over so he was sitting next to Louis, and they wrapped their arms around each other. It was late afternoon, at this point, and they had no idea how long it would be until the train reached the woods.

"We're going to have to jump off, aren't we?" Harry asked, realization apparently just now dawning on him.

"Yes." Louis nodded.

"Lou, what if we get hurt?"

"We'll be fine, love. I know it."

Harry nodded, resting his head against Louis' shoulder.

They were silent now, trying to stay quiet as not to alert the few people on the train to their existence.

Hours passed, and it was beginning to get dark. Louis was looking out at their surroundings when he saw the forest coming up, not far ahead. He looked down to find Harry asleep on his shoulder.

"Harry." He said, shaking him gently. "Harry, get up. It's almost time for our stop."

Harry opened his eyes slowly, "And by stop, you mean it's almost time for us to jump off a train."

"That's right." Louis said, maybe a bit too cheery for the situation at hand.

He stood up, pulling Harry with him, "Ready?"

"Not really." Harry said, a nervous tone to his voice.

"Well, you'd better get ready, because I'm going to jump in three, two, ONE!" Louis shouted, jumping off the train as he did a swift little tuck and roll move as not to injure himself. All he could do was pray that Harry had jumped along with him.

He must have, because not two seconds after landing, Louis felt a heavy body thumping into him.

"You alright, Haz?" Louis asked, sounding a bit winded, the breath having been knocked out of him.

"I think so." Harry said, moving to stand up, and grabbing Louis' hand, pulling him up as well. "Nothing feels broken, so that's a good sign. What about you?"

"Never better." Louis said. "Dunno about you, but I'm a bit hungry."

"I'm starved." Harry said.

"Lucky for us, I brought a snack." Louis reached into his bag, pulling out an apple for each of them, and a small bag of sweets.

Together, they ate all of the food Louis had brought with him, not thinking about the fact that they were now going to be residing in the woods, their only food source whatever they could find.

"Lou, we've got to find shelter." Harry stated.

It was dark now, the woods hiding even the light from the moon, and making it incredibly hard to see. There were wild animals out here, and Louis hoped with all his might that they were all friendly.

"Lou, I'm scared." Harry said. And Louis was scared, too, if he was being honest.

"No need to be scared, love. We've got each other, yeah?"

"S'pose." Harry said, shrugging, and snuggling into Louis' side as they walked deeper into the woods.

After nearly twenty minutes of walking, they found a large cave, and Louis crawled inside, making sure it seemed safe, before signaling for Harry to follow him in.

"Can you make a fire?" Louis asked.

"I used to know how." Harry said. "Bring me some sticks."

Louis went out into the woods, bringing back a few small sticks, as well as larger ones.

Harry worked hard, rubbing the sticks together just so, until a spark went off, igniting the sticks into a little fire, giving them light and warmth, for now.

"Fantastic job!" Louis hollered, settling himself into Harry's arms. "See? We'll be just fine on our own."

"I hope you're right, Lou. I don't want to have to go back after all of this."

"We won't." Louis shook his head, before nestling it into the crook of Harry's neck. "We're not going back. Not ever."

Harry hummed, resting a hand on Louis' back and rubbing in small circles.

"Sing for me, Hazza?"

"I dunno, Lou. What do you want me to sing?"

"That one from the malt shop earlier." Louis suggested.

"Well, I do love that one." Harry said, taking a deep breath before he began to sing.

"Love me tender,  
Love me sweet,  
Never let me go.  
You have made my  
Life complete,  
And I love you so."

Louis sighed, snuggling even closer in Harry's arms.

"Love me tender,  
Love me true,  
All my dreams fulfilled.  
For my darlin' I love you,  
And I always will."

"I really love this song, Hazza." Louis whispered, and Harry shushed him, continuing the song.

"Love me tender,  
Love me long,  
Take me to your heart.  
For it's there that I belong,  
And we'll never part.

Love me tender,  
Love me dear,  
Tell me you are mine.  
I'll be yours through all the years,  
Till the end of time."

Harry finished, kissing Louis on the top of the head softly, "That song always makes me think of you, Boo Bear."

"Yeah?"

'Course."

000

And the lyrics reigned true.

Harry and Louis lived out the rest of their lives together out in the wilderness. They worked together to build a nice shelter out of sticks and leaves, and other various plants, only using the cave during particularly windy, cold or rainy nights. Harry learned to hunt, and Louis managed to find enough edible berries and nuts to feed them for ages.

There were a couple times when Harry had had to leave the wilderness and go back to civilization. Like the first winter after they had run away, when their body temperatures were dangerously low, and Harry had to go into the nearest town and buy some wool blankets, which had lasted them the rest of their long lives together. Or the time that Louis had fallen extremely ill, and he had begged Harry to just stay with him. Insisted that he'd get better in time. But Harry knew better, and so had gone into town once more to get him some medicine.

Louis had gotten better quickly, and Harry was glad he hadn't listened to him.

Louis was the first of the two to die, but Harry didn't mind. He died peacefully in his sleep, Harry singing Love Me Tender all the while. It had sort of become their song, after the first night in the cave, and Harry sung it to him nearly every day.

Harry died not long after, and his death was peaceful as well. He was old, just as Louis had been, and he didn't fear death. He was glad to be passing on, not having to live all on his lonesome in the woods any longer. He hoped that he and Louis would be together again, somewhere, someday, in another life, when people were more accepting of their kind. When people would embrace them for who they were.

They grew old together, and that was all they had ever wanted.


End file.
